. >> i think this speech given last night by this president represents the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since vietnam. >> as senator haig el also voted against sanctions on iran, a country dedicated to israel's extinction. instead he favored direct negotiations, viewpoints not at odds with but to the left of president obama. hagel also supported negotiations with hamas, a u.s.-designated terrorist group, and he said a lot of things criticized as insufficiently supportive of israel, a longtime and strong u.s. ally. in his 2008 book "the much too promised land," middle east analyst aaron david miller quoted hagel saying the jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here, but i'm a united states senator. i'm not an israeli senator. hagel supported the pentagon's old don't ask, don't tell policy governing gays in the military, and in 1998 said of president clinton's openly gay nominee to be ambassador of luxembourg, quote, i think it is an inhibiting factor to be gay -- openly air, gressively gay like mr. hormel -- to do an effective job. last month more than 14 ye